Sean,
First, be honest with yourself in assessing your engine building skills and the amount of time you have to do this. Then think about the special tools you’ll need to purchase if don’t have them. A short list of tools would be run out gauges, micrometers to measure cylinder size, v-blocks to check the crank, tools to press the crank apart and to put it back together, a pop-off gauge and a burette to measure cylinder volume.
If you decide not to do it yourself, contact other kart shops for prices and turnaround times. I would recommend L.A.D. Specialties in Bridgeview IL. L.A.D. has been my engine builder for a very long time. They’ve done everything 2-cycle I’ve owned. See their web site for details on their services, http://www.ladspec.com/home.html. The only extra expense would be shipping. And if you want those special tools, L.A.D. can help you with that as well.
During the season you might want to rebuild the carb, which is mainly replacing the diaphragm and gaskets. This you should be able to do yourself with maybe a little help from a shop the first time.
Good Luck.
